Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, has launched a Trades Support pilot program with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. The goal of the program is to garner interest in the trades as a viable career path for youth and for individuals who have recently been out of the workforce.

The pilot was held on October 14, 2021, at Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s workshop in Oakland, California. The day-long event included information and resources about careers in the trades, Simpson Strong-Tie product demos and hands-on activities using Simpson Strong-Tie connectors and fasteners along with the Quik Drive® auto-feed screw driving system. A portion of the day was dedicated to soft skills for successfully interviewing and obtaining a job in the industry.

More than 40 participants, including students in the City of Berkeley, California’s YouthWorks program and a local AmeriCorps program, were able to learn about the benefits of a career in the trades. Based on feedback from the event, some participants are now considering the trades as a potential career they hadn’t thought of before.

“We’re proud to be a partner in this innovative endeavor,” said Janice Jensen, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. “Our sites and workshops offer a real-world, community-centered classroom for Simpson Strong-Tie in its efforts to support the next generation of skilled tradespeople who are so critical to our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

“Construction trades education is one of our four key priorities for giving back to our communities and having a positive social impact,” said Karen Colonias, president and CEO of Simpson Strong-Tie. “We’re excited to support our industry, as we are all feeling the effects of the labor shortage in the trades and elsewhere. We hope to see the Trades Support program expand to other Habitat affiliates throughout the country to promote careers in the trades.”